Railroad-tie.



0. H. GATS.

v RAILROAD TIE. APPLICATION FILED ocr. n. 1915.

Patented Apr; 18, 1916.

invento? ODUS HENRY OATS, 0F MARION, INDIANA.

RAILROAD-TIE.

Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Application le. October 11, 1915. Serial No. 55,236.

T0 all whom #may concern.' v

Be it known that I, ODUs HENRY Gars, a citizen of the UnitedA Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in rail ties and more particularly comprehends a novel form of means to secure the rail thereto; and as its principal vobject it contemplates the provision of a device of the above nature that includes means to prevent the spreading of the rails and a common member to exert a tension on said rails and retain the same in engagement with said antlspreadingv means.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a device of the above nature that includes means to adjust the tension on the rails and thus retain the same in a secure position at all times.

A further object resides in the provision of improved means for yieldingly retaining the rails in engagement with the anti-` spreading portions, which of course may be adjusted to increase or lessen the tension of the rails, thus providing for the secure retainment thereof and their easy and quick removal for the purpose of substitution or repair.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type in question that is extremely simple in construction, considering its usefulness andfefficiency, and which,l it is believed, may be manufactured at a` comparatively' low cost. j

Various other objects and advantages'will become apparent during the continuance of the following description.

The above and other objects which will become apparent, are accomplished by such means as are shown in their preferred form in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more specically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like characters designate like parts throughout the several views; Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my invention showing a pair of ordinary rails in place in conjunction therewith. The rails also are shown in cross section. Fig. 2 is a States, residing at plan view of my invention. showing the same in connection with a pair of ordinary rails.

In the accompanying drawings the numeralv 10 designates the central or body portion of my improved tie while the numerals 11 andi?. indicate the respective rail supporting blocks. The body portion 10 is shown out away to form an air space as at 13, firstly, so that it will serve as means to deaden the `disagreeable metallic sound occurring during the passage of rolling stock thereover, secondly, so as'to increase itsresiliency, and thirdly, to materially decrease the cost of manufacture of the entire device as shown in Fig. 1, a cover plate 13 may be employed,y to close the hollowed or cut away portion 13 of the tie, and suitable fasteningmeans 14 may be used to iX the plate in position. The dimensions of the hollowed portion is an entirely arbitrary feature and therefore it is to be appreciated that I am not limited to the exact disposition thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Each of the rail supporting blocks 10 and 11 respectively, is cut-out so as to form rail seats 14 and 15, while the overhanging portions 16 and 17 engage the, base flanges ofv the rails 18 and serve as eflicient anti-spreading portions. The upper face ofthe body 10 is also cut away to provide a pair of shoulders 19 so as to permit the easy and quick attachment or removal of the rails. When the rails 18 are in a secure position as illustrated inFig.. 1 of the drawings it will be noted that the inner edges of the other base flange are spaced from the shoulders 19 so that after the releasing of the fastening means (which will be presently described) the rails may be moved toward each other and consequently easily removed from the supporting blocks.

For the purpose of securely retaining the rails 18 in engagement with the respective nut 22 is loosened and removed from the spring, the latter will of course contract to some extent and thus allow its easy removal from the rails.

In order to assure the rigidity of the tie, the respective rail supporting blocks carry a series of depending prongs 23 which are adapted to bite into the ground. The said supporting blocks also carry coil springs 24 which serve to produce a slight cushion effect during the passage of rolling stock over the respective rails. The coil springs are received in suitable cut-outs 25 on the under side of the respective rail supporting blocks whereby their lateral displacement is prevented.

From the foregoing it is believed that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily understood and therefore further description is deemed unnecessary.

In reducing my invention to practice I find that the form referred to herein as the most practical and preferred embodiment is the most efiicient, but realizing that certain conditions will necessarily vary in concurrence with the adoption of my device, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in the details of construction and in the proportion of parts may be resorted to when required without sacrificing any of the advantages of' my invention as defined .in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a device of the character described, a rail tie including a body portion, a rail supporting block carried at each end of said bodv portion, each of said rail supporting blocks being cut-out to provide rail seats, anti-spreading means formed integral with said rail supporting blocks and overhanging the said cut-outs, a spring rails in engagement with said anti-spreading portions, the under face of each of said Copies of this patent may be obtained for :five cents each, by addressing the for retaining the rail supporting blocks being provided with a cut-out, a coil spring arranged in each of said last mentioned cut-outs, and a plurality of prongs secured to the under face of each of said rail supporting blocks, as and for the purpose set forth and described.

In a rail tie, a body portion including anti-spreading portions to be engaged by the rails, a spring arched in its longitudinal eX- tent yto have its free ends engaged with the rails to retain the same in engagement with said anti-spreading portions, said spring being held between said rails by action of its own tension and means to be engaged with said spring to adjust the tension on said rails, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a rail tie, a body portion, rail seats formed in Isaid body portion, anti-spreading flanges'carried by said body portion to prevent spreading of the rails, a spring to be arched in its longitudinal extent and engaged with the rails to force the same in opposite directions against the resistance of said antispreading flanges and common means to adjust the tension of said springs on each of the rails, as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a rail tie of the character described, a body portion, rail supporting blocks carried thereby, said blocks provided with rail seats to permit lateral movement of the rails. antispreading portions formed on said block to prevent eXcess lateral movement of the rails, a spring arched in its longitudinal extent to have its free ends bear against said rails and retain the same in connection with said anti-spreading portions, and common means to adjust the tension by said spring on each of the rails, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix in presence of two witnesses.

ODUS HENRY OATS.

my signature Witnesses:

THEoDoRE W. ILIFF, I. CLINTON WINsLow.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

